You say pe-cahhhn, I say peeee-can.
It doesn’t really matter how you say it, because your mouth will be too full of these little morsels of goodness to speak.
Fall always reminds me of the holiday cookie baking memories of my childhood, and in our house, I was definitely guilty of smuggling cookie dough out of the kitchen any time a batch was being made. Chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin – you name it, I was the cookie dough queen!
My mum had this tattered old Betty Crocker Cookbook that I consulted whenever the baking itch struck, and every year it acquired a few more splatters of egg, batter, vanilla, or whatever other ingredients were called for in the sweet treats I was making. Clearly this was well before blogs existed, and these days it’s usually my laptop that’s at risk of coming in contact with spills. This was also a time long before I knew that cookie dough protein bites could be made, which are now my go-to any time that familiar cookie dough-smuggling tendency from my childhood creeps in.
These No-Bake Maple Pecan Cookie Dough Protein Bites are super easy to make, gluten-free and are ideal if you need a portable snack. The combo of plant-based protein, healthy fats and fibre work to keep you satisfied between meals, and you can whip up a batch in less than 15 minutes. I prefer to enjoy them cold so I store them in my fridge, but you can also put them in a sealed container and freeze them if you prefer. Enjoy having your cookie dough and eating it too!
No-Bake Maple Pecan Cookie Dough Protein Bites
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 10-12 bites 1x
Description
Whether you say pe-cahhhn or peee-can, there’s no question that these No-Bake Maple Pecan Cookie Dough Protein Bites are to die for!
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup gluten-free rolled oats, ground into a flour, or ¾ cup oat flour
- 1/4 cup vanilla Vega Sport Protein Powder
- 2 tsp maca root powder
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- dash of nutmeg and sea salt
- 2/3 cups pecans
- ½ cup chopped pitted Medjool dates, soaked in warm water for about 5 minutes
- ¼ cup warm water
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 tsp chia seeds
- 1 tbsp almond butter
- ½ tsp maple extract (optional, for a stronger maple flavour)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- extra pecans, to decorate
Instructions
- Combine the oat flour, protein powder, maca root powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and sea salt in a mixing bowl and set aside.
- Place the pecans in a food processor and whirl until they form coarse flour. Pour them into the oat flour mixture.
- Add the dates and warm water to the processor and pulse/process until broken down as much as possible. Add all remaining ingredients except the extra pecans to the processor and continue blending until evenly incorporated.
- Depending on the size of your food processor, you can either add the flour mixture gradually to the bowl and blend it into the wet ingredients, or add the wet ingredients into the mixing bowl and stir them into the flour. Either way, you’re looking for a dough-like consistency. If necessary, add 1-2 tbsp of water.
- Roll the dough into a ball and store it, wrapped in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
- Dividing the chilled dough into 10-12 even pieces, form small balls with your hands. Press each one down with the bottom of a glass and place a pecan half in the middle of each.
- Store in the fridge, or freeze leftovers for up to 3 weeks.
- Prep Time: 15 mins (+ chill time)
- Cook Time: 0 mins
- Category: snack, dessert, gluten free, dairy free, vegan, vegetarian, high protein
- Method: no bake
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More protein balls and energy bites to try:
Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Dough Protein Bites
Chocolate Chip Cashew Cookie Dough Protein Bites
No-Bake Chocolate Hazelnut Protein Bites
Coconut Carrot Cake Protein Bites
